Combination wire stripper and plier device

ABSTRACT

A combination wire stripper and plier device comprising a pair of handle members having cutting plates mounted at the upper ends thereof. When the handles are in a closed position, the cutting plates mesh together and form a plurality of substantially circular knives, each being suitable for cutting and stripping insulation from a predetermined size of electrical wire.

United States Patent 1 Stanford 1541 COMBINATION WIRE STRIPPER AND PLIERDEVICE 76 Inventor: Joe B. Stanford, 3249 Pearl St.,

Franklin Park, 111. 62638 [22] Filed: Nov. 10,1970 211 Appl.No.: 88,415

[52] U.S. Cl ..7/5.1, 30/90.1 [51] Int. Cl. ..H02g 1/12 [58] Field ofSearch; ..7/3, 4, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 51 Jan. 16,1973

6/1960 Hindenburg ..30/9l.2 7/1925 Morris ..7/3R

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,109,137 9/1955 France ..7/5.5

Primary ExaminerRobert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. Parker,Jr. Attorney-Robert L. Slater, Jr. and Jerome Goldberg [57] ABSTRACT Acombination wire stripper and plier device comprising a pair of handlemembers having cutting plates mounted at the upper ends thereof. Whenthe handles are in a closed position, the cutting plates mesh togetherand form a plurality of substantially circular knives, each beingsuitable for cutting and stripping insulation from a predetermined sizeof electrical wire.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures \\\II T PATENTEDJAH 16 I973 INVENTOR JOE H.STAN FORD ID/m ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates generally to a wire stripper device and more particularlyrelates to a combination wire stripper and plier device.

One type of wire stripper device extensively used included a singleopening through which wires of various 1 sizes were inserted andstripped. A manual adjust was used to increase or decrease the size ofthe opening. An undesirable feature of these prior wire strippers wasthe difficulty and the time consumed in order to accurately set the sizeof the opening. Many times due to an improper setting, the wire was cutor marred during stripping and either broke off immediately or made aweak mechanical contact and often even a defective electrical contactwith an electrical terminal.

Another type of wire stripper device included a plurality of openings,each dimensioned for a particular electrical wire size. These wirestrippers were generally bulky and cumbersome to carry around. In theevent the cutting teeth of the wire stripper device were damaged orburned due to contact with a hot electrical line, repair was oftendifficult or virtually impossible and a new replacement of the entiredevice was frequently required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The subject invention comprises a wire strippersec tion including a first cutting plate mounted at the upper end of onehandle member and a second cutting plate mounted at the upper end ofanother handle member. The concave teeth of one cutting plate and theconcave teeth of the other cutting plate form substantially circularknives when the handle members are in a closed or wire strippingposition. In the closed position, the peaks of one cutting plate arereceived or meshed in the valleys of the other cutting plate.

The cutting plates are supported on support plates. The support platemay include a depression defined by sidewalls and a bottom to receiveand support the cutting plate. The support plates prevent the cuttingplates from slipping or moving, and thereby ensure proper meshing of thecutting plates prior to each stripping operation. If one or both of thecutting plates becomes damaged or dull, they could easily be removed forrepair or replacement.

A plier section is provided which is also controlled by the handlemembers. The plier section includes a pair of elongated jaws, one jawhaving a circular cross-sectional area progressively increasing in areafrom the outer tip to the bottom thereof. The circular jaw enables theouter ends of stripped wire to be formed into curves or rings, prior tobeing wrapped and secured on to an electrical terminal. The other jawincludes a planar inner surface suitable for bending and forcing thering of wire tightly around the circular elongated jaw.

It is therefore a primary object of the invention to provide acombination electrical wire stripper and plier device.

Another object is to provide a wire stripper device having a pluralityof substantially circular cutting knives, each being dimensioned tostrip the insulation from a specific wire size.

Another object is to provide a wire stripper device comprising onecutting plate having a plurality of peaks.

and a second cutting plate having a plurality of valleys to receive andmesh with the peaks when the device is in the closed or wire strippingposition.

Another object is to provide a cutting plate removably secured to thedevice, to enable easy repair or replacement of the cutting plate.

Another object is to provide a support plate having a depression forreceiving the cutting plate to prevent movement of the cutting plate.

Still another object is to provide a plier device comprising a firstelongated jaw having a substantially circular cross-sectional areaincreasing in magnitude from the outer tip to the lower end thereof, anda second elongated jaw having a substantially semi-circularcross-sectional area increasing in magnitude from the outer tip to thelower end thereof with the inner surface of the second jaw being asubstantially planar surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS area and a second jaw with asemi-circular cross-sectional area;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the cutting plates spaced apart;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the cutting plate spaced abovefrom the support plate;

FIG. 5 illustrates a wire stripper device which is another embodiment ofthe invention; and

FIG. 6 is another embodiment of a wire stripper device of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now particularly toFIG. 1 of the drawing, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally acombination wire stripper and plier device. The device 10 comprises awire stripper section 12 for stripping insulation from a length ofelectrical wire 13 and a plier section 14. A pair of handles 16,18 pivotat a pivot pin 20 to provide an open and closed position.

The wire stripper section 12 includes cutting plates 22 and 24 supportedrespectively on support plates 26,27. Cutting plate 22 and support plate26 are secured to the upper end of handle 16, and cutting plate 24 andsupport plate 27 are secured to the upper end of handle 18. The cuttingand support plates may be fastened by screws 28 passing; throughapertures 29,30 in the cutting and support plates and screwed intothreaded holes 31 formed in the handles l6, 18.

As may be seen in FIG. 3 the cutting plates 22,24 comprise respectivelycutting edges 32,33. Cutting edge 32 includes a plurality of concaveteeth 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 spaced apart by triangular peaks 40. Cuttingedge 33 includes substantiallyidentical teeth 34', 35, 36', 37' and 38'but spaced apart by triangular valleys 42. The size of the teethincrease progressively from the top to the bottom of the correspondingcutting edges 32, 33.

Cutting plate 22 also includes a crimper 44 protruding out from cuttingedge 32 to substantially align with the outermost edge of teeth 34, 35,36, 37 and 38. Crimper 44 is received in opening 46 formed in thecutting edge 32. The cutting plate 22 also includes a cutter 48positioned inward with respect to the outer point of the teeth 34, 35,36, 37 and 38. Cutting plate 24 includes a cutter 50 opposed to cutter48 and in substantial alignment with the outer points of teeth 34', 35,36, 37 and 38'.

In the open position of handles 16,18 the cutting edges 32,33 are spacedapart. In the closed position of the handles, the peaks 40 are receivedin the valleys 42, so that teeth 34 and 34', teeth 35 and 35', teeth 36and 36', teeth 37 and 37' and teeth 38 and 38' each form a differentsize circular knife identified respectively by reference numerals 51,52, 53, 54 and 55. Each circular knife is dimensioned to cut and stripthe insulation from a particular diameter size of electrical wire 13.

The support plates 26,27, include rectangular depressions 56 forreceiving the cutting plates 22,24 (FIG. 4).- The side walls 57 andbottom 58 of the depression 56 confine the cutting plate 22 in thedesired location and prevent the plate from slipping, so that thecutting edges 32,33 properly mesh prior to a wire stripping operation.In the event the cutting edge of one or both of the plates becomes dullor damaged, the cutting plate could be easily removed from the supportplate and replaced or possibly repaired.

The plier section 14 comprises a pair of gripper jaws 60,62, protrudingout from pivot pin 20. The cross-sectional areas of jaws 60,62 decreaseprogressively in magnitude from pivot pin 20 until the respective outertips 63,63. As may be seen in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional area of jaw 60is circular, having curved outer and inner surfaces 54,55. Thecross-sectional area of jaw 62 is semi-circular in shape having anarcuate or curved outer surface 66 and a planar inner surface 67.

Circular jaw 60 enables the outer ends of the wire 13 after beingstripped to be formed into circular rings for connection particularly onto screw type electrical terminals.

Cutters 68,69 may be formed respectively at the inner edges at the lowerportions ofjaws 60,62.

In FIG. 5, a wire stripper device indicated generally by the referencenumeral 70 is illustrated. Similar parts to the parts of the device 10are designated by the same numeral and a suffix a. As shown, the device70 is identical to the device 10 except it does not include the pliersection 14.

In FIG. 6, a wire stripper device indicated generally by the referencenumeral 72 is illustrated. Similar parts to the parts of device 10 areindicated by the same numeral and a suffix c. The handle members 74,75cross in an area below the wire stripper section 120 of the device 72. Apivot pin 76 is located in the crossing area. Plate 220 is associatedwith handle member 75 and plate 24c is associated with handle member 74.

The description of the preferred embodiments of this invention areintended merely as illustrative of this invention, the scope and limitsof which are set forth in the following claims.

l claim:

1. In a combination plier and wire stripper device including a pliersection, a wire stripper section, a pair of handle members associatedwith said sections, said handle members having a closed position and anopen position, and said wire stripper section comprising:

a first cutting plate associated with one handle member and a secondcutting plate associated with the other handle member, each of saidcutting plates including a plurality of concave teeth,

a peak positioned adjacent one of the concave teeth;

a valley positioned adjacent one of the concave teeth of the other ofthe cutting plates, said peak being received in said valley when thehandle members are in the closed position for aligning the concave teethof one plate with the concave teeth of the other plate and therebyforming a plurality of substantially circular cutting knives.

2. The device of claim 1 includes:

securing means for removably securing the cutting plate with thecorresponding handle member.

3. The device of claim 1 includes:

a support plate positioned between each cutting plate and acorresponding handle member, securing means for removably securing thecutting plate and corresponding support plate and handle membertogether. 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said support plate includes adepression to receive said cutting plate.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said depression is defined by sidewallsand a bottom, said cutting plates and said support plates each includingat least one aperture and with said handle member each including atleast one threaded hole; said securing means comprising a screw memberfor passing through said aperture of the cutting plate and correspondingsupport plate to threadly associate in said threaded hole.

6. The device of claim 4 includes: a plier section comprising a firstelongated jaw and a second elongated jaw; and

a pivot means disposed between the plier section and wire strippersection, said first jaw being connected to one of said handle membersand said second jaw being connected to the other handle member, saidfirst jaw and said one handle member pivoting around said pivot means inone direction and said second jaw and the other handle member pivotingaround said pivot means in the opposite direction when manually movingthe han- -dle member from the closed position to an open position.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein one of said jaws comprises asubstantially circular cross-sectional area increasing progressively insize from the outer tip to the lower end of said one jaw, the other ofsaid jaws having a substantially semi-circular cross-sectional areaincreasing progressively in size from the outer tip to the lower portionof said other jaw, the inner surface of said other jaw beingsubstantially planar.

8. A wire stripper device including a wire stripper section and a pairof handle members associated with said sections, said handle membershaving a closed position and an open position, said wire strippersection comprising:

a first cutting plate associated with one handle member and a secondcutting plate associated with the other handle member, each of saidcutting plates including a plurality of concave teeth, said concaveteeth forming a plurality of substantially circular cutting knives whenthe handle members are in said closed position;

a peak positioned adjacent one of the concave teeth;

a valley positioned adjacent one of the concave teeth of the other ofthe cutting plates, when the handle members are closed, said peak,valley and cutting knives lying on substantially the same plane when thehandle members are closed.

9. The device of claim 8 includes:

a support plate positioned between each cutting plate and acorresponding handle member, securing means for removably securing thecutting plate and corresponding support plate and handle

1. In a combination plier and wire stripper device including a pliersection, a wire stripper section, a pair of handle members associatedwith said sections, said handle members having a closed position and anopen position, and said wire stripper section comprising: a firstcutting plate associated with one handle member and a second cuttingplate associated with the other handle member, each of said cuttingplates including a plurality of concave teeth, a peak positionedadjacent one of the concave teeth; a valley positioned adjacent one ofthe concave teeth of the other of the cutting plates, said peak beingreceived in said valley when the handle members are in the closedposition for aligning the concave teeth of one plate with the concaveteeth of the other plate and thereby forming a plurality ofsubstantially circular cutting knives.
 2. The device of claim 1includes: securing means for removably securing the cutting plate withthe corresponding handle member.
 3. The device of claim 1 includes: asupport plate positioned between each cutting plate and a correspondinghandle member, securing means for removably securing the cutting plateand corresponding support plate and handle mEmber together.
 4. Thedevice of claim 3 wherein said support plate includes a depression toreceive said cutting plate.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein saiddepression is defined by sidewalls and a bottom, said cutting plates andsaid support plates each including at least one aperture and with saidhandle member each including at least one threaded hole; said securingmeans comprising a screw member for passing through said aperture of thecutting plate and corresponding support plate to threadly associate insaid threaded hole.
 6. The device of claim 4 includes: a plier sectioncomprising a ; first elongated jaw and a second elongated jaw; and apivot means disposed between the plier section and wire strippersection, said first jaw being connected to one of said handle membersand said second jaw being connected to the other handle member, saidfirst jaw and said one handle member pivoting around said pivot means inone direction and said second jaw and the other handle member pivotingaround said pivot means in the opposite direction when manually movingthe handle member from the closed position to an open position.
 7. Thedevice of claim 6 wherein one of said jaws comprises a substantiallycircular cross-sectional area increasing progressively in size from theouter tip to the lower end of said one jaw, the other of said jawshaving a substantially semi-circular cross-sectional area increasingprogressively in size from the outer tip to the lower portion of saidother jaw, the inner surface of said other jaw being substantiallyplanar.
 8. A wire stripper device including a wire stripper section anda pair of handle members associated with said sections, said handlemembers having a closed position and an open position, said wirestripper section comprising: a first cutting plate associated with onehandle member and a second cutting plate associated with the otherhandle member, each of said cutting plates including a plurality ofconcave teeth, said concave teeth forming a plurality of substantiallycircular cutting knives when the handle members are in said closedposition; a peak positioned adjacent one of the concave teeth; a valleypositioned adjacent one of the concave teeth of the other of the cuttingplates, when the handle members are closed, said peak, valley andcutting knives lying on substantially the same plane when the handlemembers are closed.
 9. The device of claim 8 includes: a support platepositioned between each cutting plate and a corresponding handle member,securing means for removably securing the cutting plate andcorresponding support plate and handle member together.
 10. The deviceof claim 9 wherein said support plate includes a depression to receivesaid cutting plate, said depression being defined by sidewalls and abottom, said cutting plates and said support plates each including atleast one aperture and with said handle members each including at leastone threaded hole; and securing means comprising a screw member forpassing through said apertures of the cutting plate and correspondingsupport plate to threadly associate in said threaded hole and therebyremovably securing the cutting and support plates to the correspondinghandle.